Process of closing cavities in trees



E. PEETs PROCESS OF CLOSING GAVITIES IN TREES A n-i1 17, 1928. v a j1-,ees,24s

Filed. July F 1925 I N VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 17,1928.

ELBERITVIPEETS, or CLEVELAND, 031:;

PROCESS OF CLOSING CAVITIES TREES.

Application filed m 15, 1925. Serial m. 43,715.

The invention'relates toan improvement 1n the art of closing and protecting open cavities in trees by a new process en'iploying a curtain of metal ,or-other strips set in a groove cut out "into the wood around the mouth of thecavity'. the object of the curtain being to form a tight and strongbu t elastic] wall, closing the cavity, and, without 'need" of interior filling,

supporting the healing callus. i

One form of theinvention is illustrated in'the accompanying drawings in wh ch ,Figure'l is a cross section through a de cayed tree showing on ,one'side the origirial decayed wood and on the othenthe" cavity excavated and cut ready for setting 1 the curtain; Fig. 2, a cross section showing "locationof curtain and bracing; Figffi, a front view of an excavated tree, showing 1nstallation of curtain; Fig. at; a vertical seetion of same; Fig. 5, a vertical section through a narrow cavity; showing curtain may be used.

strips overlapped; and Fig. 6; a section showing subsequent growth of the healing callus' The or slats or plates which comprise the 010- sure curtain is metal, especially steel, zinc,j or aluminum but hardwood, or a'con'iposi tion with characteristicssimilar to wood,

' The decayed wood 1 is cut away and the surface 20f the sound wood is painted with a disinfecting preservative.

the cavity is trimmed smooth and is cut with a bevel 3. Just inside this bevel a groove 4 'is cut. A strip 5' of metal or other strong material is cut to proper length and one end isset in the groove 4 at one side of the cavity, at an angle with that side, and the free end of the strip is rotated and lowered intothe groove'in the other side of the 1 cavity; The grooves should be of such depth and the strip of such length that the strip cannot be removedfrom its position except by reversing the movement by which it was inserted. A number of strips, are set inv place the lower edge of each resting upon the.

upper edge. of the strip previously set. When the widest point of the cavity is reached it is better to start at the top and;

best material for making the strips The mouth of ends of said slats being set'in a groove cut in the wood.

work down, setting each strip below the g previous one. .Si'ncethe last two orthree strips cannot be inserted by employing. a

rotatingmovementthey can be inserted by bowing or bending and springing them into place- Whenthe cavity beginsat the ground the I curtain may be 'begunbelow the surface 'Of thesoihor an ordinarylconcrete filling 6 may be' bro'ught up to a'eonvenient point at'which to begin the curtain. I

Whenthe cavity is wide the strips comprising the closure have tobe thick-in order to have suilicient strength, In that case they stripresting on theupperedge of the one below: it as shown in Fig. 4. VVhen the cavity is narrow, the strips need not be so i strong and-can be of thinner material. In that case the groove in the wood is out twice as wide as. the thickness of thematerial and I i theupper edge 13 of the one below it, as shownin Fig. 5.

wooded trees provision is made for the ventilationof the cavity. 1 This is done by leav- Y I piece of wire gauze 9 is cemented over the opening and a pad'ot absorbent cotton '10,

ing a small opening 8 in the curtain.

the thinstrips 11 are overlapped, the lower edge 12 of one strip being brought down'over I Inthe treatmentoflarge cavitiesin'moist- 1 back of it, prevents tlie'en-trance .of-spores and insects.

In every case the entire outer surface of the closurev is painted with a heavy protecti've paint or asphalt cement. H

V Tie-bolts 7 are used, tyingtogether the opposite walls of the cavity, to prevent the '90 HQ" mouth o f-the cavity from spreading Iclaimz e I 1. For cavities in trees, a closing curtain consistingof a plurality of plates supported by a means permitting the movement,- rela tively, to the tree, of the edge portions of said plates adjacent to saidtree. v 2. In the treatment of cavities in trees, a

closing wallvconsisting of metal slatsi the I In testimony whereof I afiixmyjsigna'ture.-

ELBERT eers.

continuous. I

05' are set edgeto-edge, theflower edge of one 

